Retractable cover for small vehicles

ABSTRACT

A retractable cover for protecting small vehicles from the weather elements which substantially covers the top and side surfaces of the vehicle. The cover is affixed to a winding mechanism and is encased in a housing when in a fully retracted position. The housing is attached to the exterior of the vehicle with brackets. In the extended position, the cover overlays the top and sides of the vehicle and is secured in place with retention members to the exterior of the vehicle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of copending U.S. utility applicationentitled, “Retractable Cover for Small Vehicles” having Ser. No.09/650,216, filed Aug. 29, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,851 BI patentedJul. 2, 2002, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is generally related to a cover for protectingride-on lawn mowers, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and other smallvehicles from the weather and, more particularly, is related to a systemand method for a cover assembly which is encased in a housing andself-retracts using a winding mechanism in the housing and which is sodimensioned that it substantially covers the top and side surfaces ofthe small vehicle and which is secured, in an extended position, withretention members.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Protective covers for automobiles or the like have been proposed invarious forms, including retractable, weatherproof covers. Theseexisting vehicle cover designs have inherent problems, such as bulkresulting from large amounts of coverage material, difficulty withdeployment and storage of the cover, and stability and ease of fasteningthe cover to the vehicle. For instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,515 toDang, a vehicle protective cover is disclosed in which a shade coverassembly is mounted in the trunk and may be unwound to shade thewindowed areas of the vehicle and prevent heating of the vehiclecompartment by ultraviolet radiation. The arrangement of Dang fails tocover the major surfaces of the vehicle, including the hood, roof,trunk, and sides; merely providing shade for the glassed surfaces of thevehicle, and no protection for the majority of the vehicle's surfacearea.

Another covering device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,593 toMcCann. The McCann patent is limited in that it only provides coverageto the top surfaces of the vehicles, leaving the sides and ends open tothe weather elements. It is further limited in that it contains“stabilization spars” which must be tightened and bent in order for thecover to drape appropriately over the vehicle's surfaces.

Accordingly, the need exists for a small vehicle cover which willprovide adequate coverage from weather conditions to the top and sidesurfaces of the vehicle and which is easily adaptable to the varyingsizes and shapes of vehicles. Furthermore, the need exists for a vehiclecover that is retractable into a housing, that attaches easily and doesnot require vehicle modification. Thus, heretofore unaddressed needsexist in the art to satisfy the aforementioned deficiencies andinadequacies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a system for covering small vehicles,such as ride-on lawn mowers, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), or othersimilar vehicles with a retractable covering apparatus which solves theaforementioned problems of the prior art. More specifically, the presentinvention is easily adaptable to vehicles of different proportions,mounts easily to the vehicle, and provides protection from the weatherelements for substantially all of the top and side surfaces of thevehicle.

Briefly described, in architecture, the system can be implemented in apreferred embodiment as follows. The retractable cover apparatusgenerally comprises an elongated housing attached to a vehicle. Thehousing preferably having an outer shell with an opening therein. Eachend of the outer shell is bounded by end caps. Within the housing outershell is preferably disposed a winding mechanism. This winding mechanismmay take the form of a spring-loaded rod, such as that commonlycontained in pull down window shades. The retractable cover apparatusalso comprises a cover engaging the winding mechanism such that thecover is moveable between an extended position covering a front, a rear,and side portions of the vehicle and a retracted position where thecover is contained within the housing. The apparatus also comprisingretention members having a first and a second end. These retentionmembers are removably affixed to an orifice in the cover at said firstend and an exterior surface of the vehicle at a second end so as tosecure the cover to the vehicle.

The present invention can also be viewed as providing a method forcovering at least a substantial portion of the exterior of a vehiclewith a weather resistant cover. In this regard, the method can bebroadly summarized by the steps that follow. Providing a housingattached to a vehicle. The housing preferably contains a spring-loadedrod with a cover material rolled about this spring-loaded rod. Pullingthe cover material from the housing. Where the action of pulling thecover results in unrolling the cover material from about thespring-loaded rod. Covering a top portion of the vehicle with the cover.Unfolding opposing side flaps of the cover in order to cover sideportions of the vehicle. Attaching a first end of a retention member tothe cover. Attaching a second end of the retention member to thevehicle. The step of attaching the second end of the retention membersecuring the cover about and to the vehicle.

Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art uponexamination of the following drawings and detailed description. It isintended that all such additional systems, methods, features, andadvantages be included within this description, be within the scope ofthe present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be better understood with reference to the followingdrawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale,emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principlesof the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like referencenumerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of aretractable cover apparatus in the process of being deployed on a smallvehicle.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a housing for use in the preferred embodimentof a retractable cover apparatus depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of aretractable cover apparatus depicted in FIG. 1, focussing on the aspectsof the housing and its attachment to the vehicle.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the preferred embodiment of a retractable coverapparatus depicted in FIG. 1, focussing on the aspects of the housingand its attachment to the vehicle and exhibiting an alternativeattachment mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a cut away side view of the embodiment of a retractable coverapparatus depicted in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a cover for use in the retractable coverapparatus depicted in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modificationsand variations may be made to the preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, as described hereafter, without substantially departing fromthe spirit and scope of the present invention. All such modificationsand variations are intended to be included herein within the scope ofthe present invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

A preferred embodiment for a retractable cover apparatus 10 is generallydepicted in FIG. 1. In the preferred embodiment, the retractable coverapparatus 10 is deployed on an all-terrain vehicle 11 (hereinafter“ATV”). However, the apparatus 10 is equally suited for use with other,similar small vehicles, such as a ride-on lawnmower, go-cart, or a lawntractor and is, in fact, intended for such use.

As depicted in FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment of the retractable coverapparatus 10, in a broad sense, preferably includes a generally tubularhousing 12 attached to an exterior surface of the vehicle 11. Asdepicted in FIG. 1, the housing 12 of the preferred embodiment isattached to a rear portion 51 of the vehicle 11. The housing 12 ispreferably attached to the vehicle 11 by brackets 27. The housing 12 isequipped with a spring-loaded rod 41 (not shown in FIG. 1) about which acover 26 is wound. A handle portion 49 of the cover 26 protrudes fromthe housing 12 through a slot 24 in the housing 12. In this manner thecover 26 of the preferred embodiment is stored within the housing 12,until it is desired to use the cover 26. As depicted in FIG. 1, thecover 26 is pulled from the housing 12 and over the top exterior surface52 of the vehicle 11. As also depicted in FIG. 1, the preferredembodiment 10 includes retention members 46 for securing the cover 26 tothe exterior of the vehicle 11. Thus, in use, the cover 26 may beextended or retracted through the slot 24 in the housing 12 and securedto the vehicle 11 with retention members 46. A more detailed explanationof the retractable cover apparatus 10 will be set forth below.

The preferred embodiment 10 preferably comprises a generally tubularhousing 12. As depicted in FIG. 2, the housing 12 comprises asubstantially tubular shell 13, making up the primary portion of thehousing 12, and end caps 14 a, 14 b on each end of the tubular shell 13.The end caps 14 a, 14 b are sized to cover the entire end portion of theshell 13. In fact, as depicted in FIG. 2, the end caps 14 a, 14 boverlap the exterior of the shell 13 so as to provide a frictional gripwith the exterior surface of the shell 13.

The housing 12 and end caps 14 a, 14 b may be comprised of a variety ofsuitable materials. Although one skilled in the art would easilyrecognize what materials may be suitable for this use, it is preferredthat a non-corrosive, light-weight material be used for the housing 12.In the preferred embodiment 10, PVC (poly-vinyl-chloride) plastic pipeis used to form the outer shell 13 of the housing 12. The end caps 14 a,14 b are preferably PVC piping end caps. These end caps 14 a, 14 b canbe glued onto the shell 13 by commonly availably PVC adhesive. However,it may be desirable to refrain from gluing the end caps 14 a, 14 b ontothe shell 13 in order to permit access to an interior portion of thehousing 12 for maintenance or cleaning. Thus, the frictional fit betweenthe end caps 14 a, 14 b and the shell 13 may be sufficient.

The diameter of the tubular shell 13 and the length of the shell 13 willvary depending on the size of the vehicle 11 and the type of covermaterial used. Generally, the length of the housing 12 should beapproximately the width of the vehicle 11. The diameter of the housingshell 13 is preferably big enough to house all of the cover 26, when thecover 26 is wound about the spring-loaded rod 41. One with skill in theart can easily determine the appropriate size of the housing dependingon the particular use.

As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 12 preferably has perforations 16 in theshell 13. These perforations 16 are relatively small in size anddisposed generally at a bottom portion of the shell 13. The purpose ofthe perforations 16 is to permit any accumulated moisture that is in theinterior of the housing 12 to drain out of the housing 12. The tubularshell 13 of the housing 12 preferably contains a slot 24 extending anentire length of the housing 12, as depicted in FIG. 2. The slot 24 isof sufficient length and width so as to permit the cover 26 to passtherethrough when the cover 26 is extended from the housing 12. Thelength of the slot 24 will vary depending on the width of the cover 26used in the preferred embodiment 10. The width of the slot 24 will varydepending on the thickness of the cover 26 used in the preferredembodiment 10. One with skill in the art will be able to determine theappropriate length and width of a slot 24 for a particular application.As depicted in FIG. 2, it is easiest to simply allow the slot 24 toextend the entire width of the tubular shell 13 of the housing 12.

As further depicted in FIG. 2, a stud 17 a, 17 b is centrally locatedalong an exterior side of each of the end caps 14 a, 14 b. These studs17 a, 17 b may be molded into the PVC end caps 14 a, 14 b. However, inthe preferred embodiment 10, the studs 17 a, 17 b are threaded such asto screw into the end caps 14 a, 14 b. Alternatively, the studs could beplastic or metal dowels glued onto the exterior of the end caps 14 a, 14b.

The primary purpose of the studs 17 a, 17 b of the preferred embodimentis to attach a shield member 23 to the housing 12, as depicted best inFIGS. 3 and 4. In order to attach the shield 23 to the housing 12 viathe studs 17 a, 17 b, brackets 18 a, 18 b are preferably employed. Thebrackets 18 a, 18 b as depicted best in FIG. 4, preferably comprise arounded exterior portion 19 having a centrally-located hole 21 therein.The brackets 18 a, 18 b also comprise an attachment side 22. Theattachment side 22 can be generally described as a lip, forming an ellshape with the primary body of the bracket 18 a, 18 b. This attachmentside 22 of the bracket 18 a, 18 b is affixed to a shield 23. Thebrackets 18 a, 18 b are preferably attached to the shield 23 via screwsor rivets. Of course, other attachment means as may be recognized asappropriate by one with skill in the art may be used to attach thebrackets 18 to the shield 23.

In this manner of attachment, the shield 23 is rotatable about thehousing 12 because the brackets 18 a, 18 b are rotatable about the studs17 a, 17 b. As depicted best in FIG. 3, the shield 23 is a semi-circularbody that stretches a length of the housing 12 and is positionable overthe slot 24. In this manner, the shield 23 may be positioned over theslot 24 and prevent materials or weather from falling through the slotand into the tubular shell 23.

As noted above, the housing 12 is secured to an exterior portion of thevehicle 11, preferably the rear exterior portion 51. As depicted inFIGS. 1 and 3, the housing 12 is preferably secured directly to the rearportion 51 of the vehicle by mounting brackets 27. The mounting brackets27 are designed to resemble the brackets 18 a, 18 b used to attach theshield 23 to the studs 17 a, 17 b. In fact, as depicted in FIG. 3, themounting brackets 27 generally have a rounded exterior portion 28 with acentrally-located hole therein. The mounting brackets 27 also comprisean attachment side 29. The attachment side 29 of the mounting bracket 27is affixed to the rear portion 51 of the vehicle 11. The mountingbrackets 27 are preferably attached to the vehicle 11 via screws orrivets. Of course, other attachment means as may be recognized asappropriate by one with skill in the art may be used to attach themounting brackets 27 to the vehicle 11.

Unlike the brackets 18 a, 18 b for the shield 23, it is not desirablethat the mounting brackets 27 permit the rotation of the studs 17 a, 17b within the mounting bracket exterior portion 28. Thus, the exteriorportion 28 is crimped to the studs 17 a, 17 b.

Alternatively, the housing 12 may attach to a pair of L-brackets 30, asdepicted in FIG. 4. The L-brackets 30 are then affixed to the vehiclewith an appropriate affixing device, such as screws. When using theL-brackets 30, it is not necessary for the mounting brackets 27 to beused. In this way, the L-brackets 29 could be screwed or glued to thehousing 12.

As best shown in FIG. 4 and cutaway view FIG. 5, the housing 12 ispreferably attached to the rear portion 51 of the vehicle 11 such thatthe slot 24 is pointing generally upward. The slot 24, as describedabove, generally denotes the exit point for the cover 26 from thehousing 12. For this reason, it is desirable for the slot 24 to beupward so that the usage of the cover 26 is optimized. In the preferredembodiment, the slot 24 is offset at an angle of approximately 30degrees from vertical, towards the vehicle 11. This permits the cover toexit the housing 12, through the slot 24 and quickly come into contactwith the vehicle surface. It is believed that this angle comes closestto maximizing the use of the cover 26.

As noted above, the preferred embodiment 10 depicted in FIG. 1 comprisesa cover 26. The preferred design of a cover 26 for the retractable coverapparatus 10 is depicted in FIG. 6. As detailed in FIG. 6, the cover 26generally comprises of three sections: an elongated panel 31 and twoflaps 32 a, 32 b. The panel 31 is preferably rectangular in shape havinga length and a width. The width of the panel 31 is bounded bylongitudinal edges 33 a, 33 b on the other hand, the length of the panel31 is bounded by a front edge 34 and a rear edge 35. The front edge 34of the panel 31 preferably forms a bulbous stopping handle 49. Thehandle 49 is preferably formed by stitching the end of the panel 31around a dowel. In this way, the dowel is contained within the edge ofthe fabric. The dowel should preferably be sized to have a diameterlarger than the slot 24 in the tubular shell 13. In this way, when thecover 26 is retracted into the housing 12, the handle 49 will stop atthe slot 24 and permit the user to grasp this handle 49 in order to pullthe cover 26 from the housing 12.

As depicted in FIG. 6, the flaps 32 a, 32 b preferably comprise atrapezoidal shape having a base edge 36, a top end 37 and angled sideedges 38 a, 38 b. The flaps 32 a, 32 b are attached to the panel 31along the longitudinal edges 33 a, 33 b of the panel 31 via the baseedge 36 of the flaps 32 a, 32 b. The flaps 32 a, 32 b are preferablyattached to the panel 31 via stitching the three pieces together.However, as will be understood with one of skill in the art, the methodof attachment may be varied depending on the material used.

Because of the method of attachment of the preferred embodiment 10,seams 39 a, 39 b are formed. These seams 39 a, 39 b will aid in thefolding of the flaps 32 a, 32 b onto a top surface of the panel 31 forextension and retraction of the cover 26. In another aspect of theretractable cover apparatus 10, the flaps 32 a, 32 b may be pleated inorder to aid in the drape of the cover 26 over the various surfaces ofthe vehicle 11. In another alternative embodiment, the panel 31 andflaps 32 a, 32 b may be manufactured as one piece.

The cover 26 is preferably constructed of a fabric material, such as iscommon for tents and tarps. Such material preferably comprisespolyurethane coated nylon taffeta. On the other hand, other coated nylonor polyester material, such as silicone elastomer coated nylon, would beequally effective. These materials are generally considered lightweightand resistant to moisture, such as rain, snow, and ice. If it is alsodesired that the cover 26 be resistant to ultraviolet light, thenadditional coatings may be added to the nylon taffeta material. On theother hand, if weight is not a concern, then a coated cotton material,such as an Army Duck Canvass with a Sunforger® finish may be used.However, due to potential weight constraints, this material is notgenerally preferred.

As best depicted in FIG. 5, the rear edge 35 of the cover 26 ispreferably affixed to a winding mechanism contained inside of thehousing. The preferred embodiment of the winding mechanism is aspring-loaded rod 41. This rod 41 is positioned to span from theinterior portion of one end cap 14 a to the other end cap 14 b of thehousing 12. The rod is also positioned within the housing 12 such as tobe coaxial with the tubular shell 23. The rod 41 is preferably affixedto the interior walls of the end caps 14 a, 14 b by brackets, similar tothose commonly used with pull-down window shades. Alternatively, theends of the rod could be designed to protrude through a centrallylocated hole in the end caps 14 a, 14 b such that the ends of thespring-loaded rod 41 for the studs 17 a, 17 b.

The spring-loaded rod 41 is preferably designed like a common windowshade. U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,916, issued to Gossling on Oct. 9, 1973,entitled Window Shade Motor describes a basic design for thespring-loaded rod 41 of the preferred embodiment. The design includes aspring motor for tensioning the cover 26 and retracting the cover 26when not held in an extended position. One with skill in the art willeasily be able to adapt the teaching in the window shade art to apply tothe preferred embodiment of the herein described vehicle coveringapparatus 10. U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,916, issued to Gossling on Oct. 9,1973, entitled Window Shade Motor, is hereby incorporated herein byreference.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,050, issued to Toppen on Jan. 24, 1984, entitledWindow Shade Clutch Assembly, describes an alternative embodiment of thespring-loaded rod 41 of the present invention. This alternative aspectadds a clutch assembly for permitting the cover 26 to be held in anextended position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,050, issued to Toppen on Jan. 24,1984, entitled Window Shade Clutch Assembly, is hereby incorporated byreference herein.

The cover 26 is preferably affixed to the spring-loaded metal rod 41 bya metal rivet 40 driven through the rear edge 35 of the cover 26 andinto the rod 41, as shown in FIG. 5. Alternatively, the cover 26 may beaffixed to the rod 41 by other means, such as glue, or by clamping therear edge 35 of the cover 26 into a groove cut into the surface of therod 41.

Although the length and width of the cover 26 may vary depending on theapplication, and the particular vehicle 11 used, the preferred length ofthe cover 26 is approximately nine feet and the preferred width of thecover 26 is approximately seven feet. Of course, the larger the vehicle11 sought to be covered, the larger the cover 26 should be.

As depicted in FIG. 1 and FIG. 6, at least at three locations along aperiphery of the cover 26 there are preferably orifices 42 a-42 c. It ispreferred that one orifice 42 a be positioned along a side edge 38 a ofone of the flaps 32 a. Then, a second orifice 42 b is preferablypositioned along the front edge 34 of the panel 31, inward of the handle49. Finally, an orifice 42 c is positioned along a side 38 b of thesecond flap 32 b. While these orifices 42 may simply comprise holes inthe cover material, it is preferred that a grommet 43 encircle theorifice 42. In certain applications where the length of the cover 26 isenlarged, it may be preferable to use at least two orifices on each sideof the cover 26. Additionally, depending on the width of the vehicle 11,more than one orifice may be used along the front edge 34 of the cover26.

The grommets 43 of the preferred embodiment serve to prevent the rippingor tearing of the cover material. To this end, the grommets 43 areconstructed of metal or rubber. The preferred material is aluminum.Additionally, to prevent the tearing of the cover material, the orifices42 are preferably positioned some distance from the edge of the cover26. Obviously, the more material that is between the orifice 42 and theactual material edge, the greater resistance to tearing when stress ortension is placed on the grommets 43. In the preferred embodiment, theinside edges of the orifices 42 are about one inch from the edge of thecover material.

When deployed, the cover 26 is secured to the vehicle 11 via retentionmembers 46. In the preferred embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, theseretention members 46 comprise a stretchable cord member 27 and a pair ofhooks 48 a, 48 b on each end of the stretchable cord member 47. In thismanner, a first hook 48 a may be passed through the grommet and thesecond hook 48 b may be affixed to an exterior portion of the vehicle 11when the cover 26 is deployed over the vehicle

Before the cover 26 is rolled into the housing 12, the retention members46 are preferably removed from the cover 26. Although the housing 12 andcorresponding parts may be sized to accommodate the retention members 46being rolled into the cover 26, this may damage the cover material andis not preferred.

The method of using the preferred embodiment 10 will now be described indetail. In use, the cover 26 begins wound around the spring-loaded rod41 inside of the housing 12. In this standard storage position, theshield 23 is preferably positioned over the slot 24. In this way, theshield 23 can prevent moisture or other items from falling through theslot 24 and into the interior of the housing 12.

In order to use the cover 26, the shield 23 is rotated away from theslot 24. The user grasps the handle 49 of the cover 26 and pulls thecover up from the housing 12. The springloaded feature of the rod 41will provide a tension against this pulling motion. The cover 26 iscarefully pulled through the slot 24 and away from the housing 12, upover the rear portion 51 of the vehicle 11 and then over a top portion52 of the vehicle and then along a front portion 53 of the vehicle 11.

When the cover 26 is fully extended, it is preferred that the orifice 42b along the front edge 34 of the cover 26 has one of the hooks 48 a of aretention member 46 passed therethrough. Then, the opposing hook 48 b ofthe retention member 46 may be affixed to a front portion 53 of thevehicle 11. This will secure the cover 26 in place while the other sidesof the cover 26 are affixed to the vehicle 11. Then, once the cover issecured and kept from rolling back into the housing 12, the flaps 32 a,32 b of the cover 26 are unfolded such as to overlay the side portions54 a, 54 b of the vehicle 11. Upon unfolding the flaps 32 a, 32 b,additional retention members 46 may be used to secure the flaps 32 a, 32b to the side portions 54 a, 54 b of the vehicle 11. In this manner, thecover 26 of the preferred embodiment 10 completely encapsulates theexterior surfaces of the vehicle 11, except for the bottom surface. Inother words, both front and back portions are covered, as well as bothside portions.

When it is desired to put the cover 26 away, the side retention members46 are detached from the vehicle 11 and then from the flaps 32 a, 32 b.The flaps 32 a, 32 b are folded onto an upper surface of the panel 31 ofthe cover 26. While the user is grasping the handle 49, the frontretention member 46 is detached from the vehicle and from the cover 26.Then, a user permits the spring-loaded rod 41 to pull the cover 26 backinto the housing 12 as the user, grasping the handle 49, walks alongside the vehicle 11. Once the handle 49 comes to rest against the shell13 of the housing 12, the user releases the handle 49. Once the cover 26is secured within the housing 12, the shield 23 is moved to cover theslot 24 in the housing 12.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of thepresent invention, particularly, any “preferred” embodiments, are merelypossible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clearunderstanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations andmodifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) of theinvention without departing substantially from the spirit and principlesof the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended tobe included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the presentinvention and protected by the following claims.

We claim:
 1. A vehicle covering system comprising: a four wheel outdoorrecreational vehicle, said four wheel outdoor recreational, vehiclehaving an exterior comprising side portions, a front portion, and a rearportion; an elongated housing attached to said four wheel outdoorrecreational vehicle, wherein said housing comprises a tubular bodyportion having an outer shell and an opening in said outer shellcomprising a slot along a length of said tubular body, wherein saidhousing further comprises end caps attached to each end of said tubularbody, wherein each said end cap has a centrally located stud; a shieldmember attached to said studs, said shield member attached such thatsaid shield member rotates about the studs so as to selectively coverand uncover the slot, wherein said shield member moves about the studsalong a circular path; a winding mechanism disposed within said housing;a cover engaging said winding mechanism such that said cover is moveablebetween an extended position covering the front, rear, and side portionsof said four wheel outdoor recreational vehicle and a retracted positionwhere said cover is rolled about a rod in an interior of said housing;and retention members having a first and a second end, said retentionmembers removably affixed to an orifice in said cover at said first endand the exterior of the four wheel outdoor recreational vehicle at asecond end so as to secure said cover to said four wheel outdoorrecreational vehicle.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said covercomprises: an elongated panel for covering a top portion of saidvehicle; and side flaps extending from said elongated panel for coveringthe side portions of said vehicle.
 3. The system of claim 2, whereinsaid cover is formed of a weather resistant material.
 4. The system ofclaim 3, wherein said weather resistant material comprises apolyurethane coated nylon taffeta.
 5. The system of claim 1, whereinsaid cover comprises at least three orifices therein.
 6. The system ofclaim 5, wherein said orifices are at least partially defined bygrommets.